The Haunted Mansion
by Rhys40404
Summary: When Ryan inherits an ancient gothic mansion from his uncle, will he finally discover the secret to winning Troy Bolton? Eventual slash. Lots and lots of Tryan. Umm... Not good with these things. Enjoy :D DISCLAIMER: I do not make any money with this.
1. AN ANNOUNCEMENT

Hey everyone! Okay, well here goes nothing! All through October, I'm going to be writing a story. About 500 words everyday, for 28 days. Everyday except the 1st, 15th and 31st, where I will be uploading other things to do with the fic. I will put one up every day, leading up to Halloween on the 31st. Hopefully, I will see you on the other side, with a finished story! Remember, reviews make me write faster! Be good, stay safe and have a spooktacular (Did I really just use that word? Oh god what am I doing?) October! - Rhys40404


	2. It Begins

The footsteps on the stairs were an obvious sign he was not alone. He ran up the stairs to the attic door. And threw it open so he could get inside. The childish laughter following him drifted slowly through the house. He knew that he could not escape this time. He locked the door to the stairs behind him and then thrust a large wooden chest in front of it. He then pulled open the other door in the room. The door to the roof. He ran onto the roof, choosing to hide behind one of the large stone pillars that lined the roof. He glanced at the door he had just exited and realised that the childish laughter had found him and he knew that he was going to die very soon. He watched as the ghost of a small girl walked out, clutching a small bear in one hand and a blanket in the other. She looked around the roof and headed towards the stone pillar he was hiding behind. He stepped out from behind it and looked at the little girl properly. She couldn't have been more than seven or eight. She walked towards him, hands outstretched as the bear she was holding transformed into a knife. He knew it was now or never. No matter what, he had faced everything in his life with courage, and it would be no different while he faced death. He looked at the little girl and then at the edge of the roof. If he had to die, he would die in his own time. Turning his back to the girl, he stepped back and took a running jump over the edge of the roof.

The obsidian sky served as an elegant backdrop to the mansion. The light from the attic windows casting an unearthly glow upon the ravaged, overgrown ground which surrounded the house. For a second, everything was silent and still, time ceasing to exist as the world paused. From the shadows of the house, a tall figure loomed eerily. Dressed all in black, with both top hat and cane, the shade watched, the light from the window seeming to be repelled by the malevolence that this creature was radiating. Suddenly, it rushed several feet away from the house. It glared at the roof with an evil smile forming upon it's lips. It watched as a figure launched itself off of the roof, hitting the floor with a sickening crunch. The shade walked over to the crumpled figure and began to sing. Vicious, screeching notes, like the sounds of nails on a chalkboard, rang out over the grounds upon which the mansion was standing. A thick fog began to take the place in its grasp, blocking both the mansion and the shade from singing stopped as suddenly as it had started. The fog dispersing instantly. The shade was gone. It had vanished into the darkness that it had created, leaving only the body behind. Yet from the branches of a tall oak tree, another creature was watching. A raven. It had been staring at the scene since it started, not moving or giving the slightest indication of life. Yet as the fog around the house cleared and the moon became visible once more, the raven removed itself from it's perch and flew down to the body. It landed next to the head, where it let a single black feather drop, offering the body one last earthly raven flew up into the air and started hastily rushing in one direction. It travelled for several miles, until it found what it was looking for. It dropped out of he sky and landed in the tree nearest to the window. It wasn't until a slender figure appeared at the window that the raven knew it had found what it was looking for. It watched, it's gaze fixed upon the window as it was thrown open, revealing Ryan Evans. The raven smiled a wry smile and settled itself into the tree, anticipating the events to come.


	3. Hidden Secrets

Ryan Evans was in shock. The news of the death of his Uncle had hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered waking up that morning, throwing open his windows and singing to himself. It had started off as a beautiful day. But it had all started to change around midday. His twin sister, Sharpay had seemed a lot more down than usual. To those outside of their kinship, Sharpay was the most confident, popular person that they had ever met. However, Ryan knew the truth. She needed the fame, the success, the applause, to be able to cope with life. Only with Ryan was she honest about who she really was. The real side of her only came out behind closed doors. Her deep depression at the loss of her boyfriend Zeke had not surprised Ryan, but it had made him feel more sympathetic towards her. He, just like their Uncle, had died in mysterious circumstances. After his death she had started drinking, but this was the worst Ryan had ever seen her.

He remembered her words exactly. They kept spinning around in his head, not sinking in. _"Ryan, sit down. I've just had a phone call and there is something important I need to tell you. Uncle Rich is dead". _He felt empty inside, not knowing how to deal with the pain it had caused him. Sharpay had started to drink heavily when Zeke died, but now she was on the verge of passing out. He wouldn't drink, he couldn't handle it.

And then it hit him. He knew exactly what he would do. He would call Kelsi. His best friend. The only person he trusted with his secret. The only person he could trust in the world right now. No, ho couldn't call her. He would go see her. The only way to deal with the pain. He would talk face to face with his best friend.

He left the house and arrived at Kelsi's twenty minutes later. He walked up to the door, knocked three times and waited. Kelsi opened the door with a look of surprise on her face."Ryan! I wasn't expecting you! How are you? You look terrible.""You wouldn't believe me if I told you.""Try me." Kelsi laughed, knowing that Ryan knew what she meant."Can I come in? I'm not right at the moment Kels. I need a friend and Shar is just getting wasted. Again.""Of course, Ry. Make yourself at home. You're always welcome. Now, what can I do for you?"

Ryan stared at her with a blank look in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again. Kelsi placed her hands on the sides of Ryan's head. She closed her eyes and, concentrating, suddenly found herself inside Ryan's mind, watching the events of the past few hours unfold before her very eyes. She cycled through the memories and in an instant was done. She opened her eyed and pulled her hands back, unsure of what to do next. She looked at Ryan, embraced him in a hug and held him close. She could feel the tears running down his face, knowing that the tragically elegant, broken figure she was holding could only be saved by one person. Troy Bolton.

After Ryan had fallen asleep, Kelsi set to work. She meditated upon the image of Troy Bolton, opening her mind to let the energy in. She could feel his mind drawing closer, until she was pulled inside of it. This time, she filtered the memories, allowing only ones involving Ryan to come through. She looked through them, hoping that something would be in there. Searched and searched until she found what she was looking for. The secret to fixing Ryan.

She broke her meditation and gently woke Ryan up. With a giant smirk on her face, she proudly announced "It's a good thing your best friend is telepathic!"


	4. Sibling Rivalry

Ryan looked at Kelsi, shocked into silence. He had known she was telepathic, but she had told him that she didn't use her power often, unless it was an emergency. Did he count as an emergency? Had she used her power to help him? Whatever the reason, Ryan felt a great amount of gratitude towards Kelsi. Silently, he stood and hugged her. He left the room, knowing she would follow and went outside, placing himself next to the piano that Kelsi had. He looked at the black piano, tracing the intricate purple pattern on it with his fingers.

Kelsi looked at him with sadness in her eyes. He had a long day ahead of him. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, letting him know she was there. He flinched at her touch, making her take a few steps back. She walked around to sit at the piano and started to play a few notes. Her fingers brushed over the keys lightly, yet the sound came out stronger than any before ever had. She looked at Ryan and he nodded. She started playing, as Ryan prepared to sing. He opened his mouth and the words flowed out.

**"How can you see into my eyes**  
><strong>Like open doors?<strong>  
><strong>Leading you down into my core <strong>  
><strong>Where I've become so numb<strong>

**Without a soul **  
><strong>My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold<strong>  
><strong>Until you find it there and lead <strong>  
><strong>It back home"<strong>

Kelsi looked at him and smiled a sad smile, the emotion and the power of his voice beautifully defining the song as he sang. She saw a single tear run down his cheek and knew that he was ready to do whatever it took. She allowed the music to fall into a natural rhythm as Ryan sang the chorus.

**"Wake me up inside**  
><strong>Wake me up inside <strong>  
><strong>Call my name and <strong>  
><strong>Save me from the dark <strong>

**Bid my blood to run**  
><strong>Before I come undone<strong>  
><strong>Save me from the nothing <strong>  
><strong>I've become"<strong>

Kelsi stopped playing the piano and looked at Ryan. He was trembling slightly. She quickly got up and went inside, returning almost instantly with a glass of water. He shakily accepted it and started to drink it, which helped settle his nerves. He looked over at Kelsi and said 'What happens now? What do I do?'

She was stuck. Should she tell him the truth, or tell him what he wanted to hear. "Go home. Call your mom and dad and let them know. Get them to come home to deal with his stuff. Then we'll work on making you feel better again". She smiled, knowing he would listen to her and watched as he got up, hugged her and left.

Outside the house, Ryan thought about everything Kelsi had said and as he was walking home, collided with Taylor McKessie, which sent them both to the floor. Ryan recovered quickly and grabbed Taylor's hand, helping her up. She stood up and smoothed out her top. Upon turning to discover who had helped her and seeing Ryan, she had screamed and fled. Ryan was offended and wondered what he had done.

The rest of the way home was dull, which didn't help to distract him from his thoughts. He got back to the house and knocked, expecting Sharpay to answer. Two minutes passed and he knocked again, still no answer. He walked around to the back of the house and stopped when he caught sight of a shadowy figure in the house. He watched as the intruder went into the kitchen and then saw Sharpay sneaking up behind. Ryan wanted to call out to her, warn her not to be stupid, when he saw her open her mouth to reveal fangs. He watched, terrified as Sharpay grabbed the intruder and broke his neck. She pulled at the fabric covering the skin of the intruder and sank her teeth deep into his neck, right where she had snapped the spine. He watched as she fed from him, not stopping until she was fully satisfied.

Ryan crept around to the front of the house and knocked again on the door. This time Sharpay answered, looking immaculate and like she had not recently killed someone. Ryan walked in and went through to the kitchen. No sign of a body. No trace of what had just occurred. He turned around and saw Sharpay standing there, fangs exposed ready to strike. She smirked and then she flew at him.


	5. Getting Away

Ryan watched as his sister launched herself at him. He felt time slow down and watched as she slowly came closer and closer. He felt himself moving, although he wasn't sure what was happening until he saw the chair he had lifted hit his sister across the head. He watched as she fell to the floor, time regaining speed as she hit the the ground. Ryan looked at her, wondering what she had become, when he noticed her finger moving. Stepping back, he picked up a plate from the table and prepared to hit Sharpay with it. He looked at her, watching her fingers twitch as she slowly regained consciousness. He watched as she sat up and turned, cowering when she saw him with a plate.

"What did you do that for?" She screamed, standing up hastily. "I wasn't going to hurt you moron. I want to show you something. I saw you outside just now, I know you saw me. Ryan, I should have told you before, but I didn't know how you would react. I'm a vampire, but only when there is a new moon. It happens once a month. I don't know why. I don't know how. It just does."  
>"Are you sure?"<br>"Positive."  
>"Okay, I believe you. Who was that just now?"<br>"I don't know Ry, but I think we should leave the house, if just for a while. It doesn't feel safe here."

Ryan and Sharpay walked out to Sharpay's pink convertible, got in and drove off. Sharpay looked at her brother and knew that he was feeling a lot worse than she was. She concentrated on the road and tried to work out where they could go. Their friends were too obvious an option. They couldn't go to Lava Springs either, knowing that they would be in danger there. Then Sharpay had a thought. She knew exactly where to go. She sharply rounded a corner and headed for the edge of town.

Ryan watched his sister speeding along the road, all the while trying to figure out what had happened. He thought about his uncle and the intruder in the house. He thought about Kelsi and Troy and all his friends. He thought about everything that had happened and it made no sense to him. He let his mind go blank, watching the scenery pass by in a blur, as Sharpay turned corner after corner. He was so lost in his imagination, or lack of, that he had not noticed them stop. It was only when Sharpay called him that he snapped out of the trance he was in.

"Hey Ry, come help me with this stuff!"  
>"What stuff?"<br>"Our stuff."

Ryan looked at the cases she held in her hand and realised that she had packed them stuff already, in case of an emergency. He hugged his sister, thankful for her thoughtfulness and grabbed the last remaining bags from her car. He turned around and followed Sharpay through a gap in thr trees they had stopped by. She was opening a door on a small stone building, when he realised where he was. They were at the small forest outside of town. He had often come here with Kelsi as they both found it relaxing. Looking back to Sharpay, he saw she had already gone inside. He followed her in and was not surprised by what he saw. Everything was pink. The walls were pink. The ceiling was pink. Even the furniture was pink.

He turned to her and she simply smiled and said "Welcome to Pink Cottage!"


	6. IMPORTANT

Hey everyone! Right, this isn't a chapter update unfortunately, but instead a little sort of… Notice, I guess.

As any of you who have followed my stories knows, I haven't updated in a while, almost a year in fact. There are a number of reasons, but most of them are very personal, so I do not wish to go into them here.

Now, for the good news! I am going to be rewriting and updating every fic I have so far, so I will be able to add more plot features and make it more structured towards my objectives for writing the fic. There are also a few issues with formatting which I am going to go away and fix, so that everyone can enjoy what I write more.

Now, the 4 fics I have up online here already I am going to be redoing, plus I am going to add some new fics too, so keep an eye out for those. Some details are on my profile, which I updated recently too, so if you can't wait, then go find out.

* * *

><p>Now, for each fic:<p>

**Forever and a Day** - I am going to be revising plot and structuring the story better. I am unhappy with the current chapter, as it was one of the first I uploaded and my writing has improved substantially since then. I will also be adding more character description too, so I hope you can wait for that!

**The Truth Will Always Come Out** - I admit, this was a spur-of-the-moment piece, so I am going to rewrite this, reformat it and am actually going to develop a plot for this.

**Running** - I am happy with this, but will probably restructure and reformat it for clearer reading. Re-reading it, I've noticed that unless you are me, it's a little unclear to see what I am trying to show at points, which is something that I hate in some literary works I have read, as I have been unable to satisfactorily enjoy the story.

**The Haunted Mansion** - Well… I admit I went into this with no plot at all. However, I will create a fabulous plot, make each chapter longer, actually finish the story and hopefully not get too many disapproving reviews.

Hopefully, you will be satisfied by this, but I understand if you are a little annoyed at the lack of updating and the sudden stopping of chapters being published for The Haunted Mansion.

* * *

><p>Again, I will be rewriting, reformatting and restructuring each fic, so if you have any advice, or any questions, then feel free to review or send me a message.<p>

Thank you all!

Rhys40404


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